1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cooling apparatus for use with commercially available water bottles, especially counter-top standing coolers for water bottles or for bottles for containing other liquids such as juice, containing a relatively small amount of water, e.g. about 10 liters
2. Acknowledgement of Prior Art
Water coolers for domestic use have become relatively commonplace and frequently may be floor standing models which are adapted to receive a large cylindrical water bottle typically containing, say, 20 gallons of liquid. Such cylindrical water bottles must be lifted and positioned and tipped into a neck down position with the bottle top opened so that water may be drawn off from a spigot of the apparatus. Such water bottles are unwieldy and difficult to handle on a domestic basis. In fitting the bottle into place water is frequently spilt.
A number of counter-top standing water coolers have been suggested such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,945 issued Sep. 18, 1989 to Bender et al and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,713 issued Apr. 3, 1990 to Bender et al. Such counter-top coolers as disclosed by Bender comprise an insulated casing and a thermoelectric cooling element by means of the Peltier effect. A spigot of the water bottle itself is located to withdraw liquid from the container thus the spigot is located as low as possible with respect to the body of the container. A thermoelectric element is located to the rear of the container.
Numerous other cooling containers, cans, kegs, or other containers are exemplified by the disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos.
______________________________________ 4,671,070 June 9, 1987 Rudick 3,399,539 Sept. 3, 1968 Herman 3,243,965 April 5, 1966 Jepson 3,155,157 Nov. 3, 1964 Anderson et al 3,178,896 April 20, 1965 Sandsto, and ______________________________________
Canadian Patent No. 1,016,604 issued Aug. 30, 1977 to Unifridge Canada Ltd.
A number of problems have been experienced in thermoelectric device coolers. When they are to be used for water bottles, difficulty has been found in providing intimate contact of the cooling surface with a container wall to provide fast adequate cooling of liquid in the container in the immediate region of the spigot.
Adequate sealing of the thermoelectric device itself to protect it from condensation has also been a problem. It is theorized that it may be for this reason that it has not been practicable to attempt to cool a lower surface of the bottle because the thermoelectric device must be protected from moisture it has been desirable to locate it as high as possible.
The heat removed from the liquid in the water bottle is usually dissipated from a heat sink by means of a fan but high temperatures in the heat sink have tended to influence the temperature of liquid in the bottle and has counteracted the effects of cooling.
The present inventors have addressed the many problems involved with conventional counter-top coolers.